Loose-leaf binder



A 26, 1930. A. G. LOTTER 1,774,282

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Feb. 8, 1929 2 Sheets$h,eet 1 lulu: mm"

7 M W @Jbmmm/m We a ' Aug. 26, 1930. A. G. LOTTER 1,774,382

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Feb. 8, 1929 2 sheet -sheet 2 l mag-i:

Patented Aug. 26, 1930 PATENT mm; c I

LEAF 00., 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A, CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN LoosE-LEAFQBINDER Application filed- February 8,1929. Serial No.- 338,451. i

This invention relates-to certain new and useful improvements in loose leaf binders and refers'moreparticularly to visible record binders such as illustratedin Letters Patent No. 1,727 ,348, issued SeptemberlO,"

inherent objection to this typeof binderviz,

the'tendency for the leaves tobind on the rings" as the covers are closed. Thisfobjection has been overcome to a great extent by the provision of followers movable with the covers to guide theleaves', but due to thepar- 'tioular construction ofvisible record binders,

maxlm'um efficiency can not be obtained from the followers, and'jtherefore, this nvention.

has as one of its objectsto increase the effec tiveness of the followers in binders of the character desoribed to facilitate the closing 7 of the binder'and'to prevent tearing of the Y "leaves at their openings through whichathe 3O impaling prongs pass; 7 1 V Another object of this invention resides V in the provision ofmeans for increasing the ease of operation of binders of'the character described, which is extremely simple andmay 1 be applied .to binders "at the time of ,their ,7 manufacture or to thosealready in use.

The followers, as in allring binders, have openings through which the impaling prongs vention has as a furtherobject theprovision :of novelmeans for connecting thefollower member which cooperateswithflsa-idseries of 'P with its spective cover, whichacpass and are also connected withthe covermembers and as at least one series of impalingprongs is longitudinally 'shiftable this incommodates' the movement of 1 the follower with the impaling prongs upon'longitudinal 1 shifting thereof andiwhich greatly simpli- -fies-the assembly of -the binder. 1

:With the above and other ob jects which in Figure 3, by means of said mechanism;

ADOLPH e. notrrnn; on ivrinwnnxnnwisoonsm, ASSIGNOR tros'rn'rionnns' LoosE will appear asthe description proceeds, my

invention resides in the novel construction, comblnatlon and arrangement'of parts substantially' as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclos'ed invention may be made ascome ithin the i scope of the claims.

In the accompany ng d ngs, I have iL lustrated one complete example of the physi V cal'embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far;

devised for the practical application ofthe principles thereof and in whichg Y or Figure 1 is a'plan view withpartsflbr'oken V away, illustrating a =binder constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the inside of thebaok, the covers being in open position; 7 Figure 2 is a view similar to-Fi'gure 1 with the impaling prongs instaggered relation;

Figure 3 is an end view showing the covers partially closed to illustrate the novel means employed to prevent binding, and

of one end of one of the followers.-' 5

Referring now more particularly toythe accompanying drawings, inc whic'hr like nu- 'merals designate likeparts throughout the .severalfviews, the numeral 5 represent's'the 'backof a visible record binder whichis tu- V -bular in construction to receive the' -mecha Figure 4 is an enlarged' jperspe'ctive new nism, suchas shown in .my patent above re-x 'ferred to,"for mountingaplurality of spaced retainer rings 6 consisting of two seriesof impaling prongs 7 and 8. The prongs 7 and moval of record-leaves 9, shown in dotted lines uponseparating lugs 10 and 11.

' The impahng prongs 8, in addition to being movable in a transverse plane upon the separation of the lugs10 andll, are shiftable longitudinally to a staggered "position illustrated in Figure 2, this being accomplished byni'oving the lug ll'inwardly after it has i been moved to its outermost; position, and ,v movingbothlugs toward each other; "The 100W operatioll- O he mechanism whereby these 18 are separable to permit the insertion 'and'remembers 15 being hingedly connected with the covers 12 and 13, as at 16. This construction is substantially as shown and described in Letters Patent No. 1,724,407, issued August 13, 1929. v V

' Movable with each of the covers 12 and 13 and extended inwardly beyond the pivotal connections 16 are followers of plate form 17 and 18 respectively; the follower 17 being rigidly connected with its cover 12 and the follower 18 being movably connected with the cover 13 in a manner to be later described. The inner ends of the followers 17 and 18 are provided with a plurality of elongated apertures 19 through which the impaling prongs pass to maintain the covers properly assembled with the back.

The effectiveness of the followers to prevent bindingdepends roughly upon the distance between their inner edge and the inner ends of their elongated apertures 19 and as visiblerecord bindersare so constructed that when in open position there is very little room for the inner ends of the followers, their efficiency is greatly reduced This invention, however, overcomes this objection by means'of semi-circular strips 20 which are riveted or otherwise secured to the inner edge of each follower at its under side, to ride on the inner periphery of the rings as the binder is closed. The provision of the strips 20 raises the inner ends of the followers during the initial closing movement and thus greatly increases the ease of operation and prevents binding of the leaves between the followers and the outer peripheries of the impaling'prongs.

As has been stated, the follower 17 is rigidly connected with the cover 12 and the follower 18 is movably connected with the cover 13 toipermit the longitudinal shifting of the follower 18 with the impaling prongs 8. The meansfor connecting the follower 18 with the cover 13 incorporates a plurality of key-hole slots 21 formed in the follower and through i which studs 22 having enlarged heads 23 extend. Inlassemblingflhe follower 18isconnected with lts cover 13 by passing the'heads of the studs 22 through the large openings 24: of the key hole slots, and then shifting'the same longitudinally to align the studs with the restricted portions 25 of the slots. Realignment of the enlargements 24: with the heads of the studs is prevented after the follower 18 is engaged with the impaling prongs 8, as the width of the slots 19, through whlch the prongs pass, is not sufficient to permit the required longitudinal movement of the follower.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which an invention of the character described appertains, that I provide an improved construction for visible record loose leaf binders in which followers, provided with means for preventing binding of the leaves during closing of the binder, are-connected with their respective cover members in a manner which greatly facilitates assembling and which accommodates the longitudinal shifting of the impaling prongs in an extremely simple manner.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a loose leaf binder having a back, cover members, retaining rings carried by the back, followers carried by the cover members and engaged with the rings, and a strip secured to the inner edge of each follower and adapted to ride on the inner periphery of said rings as the covers are closed'upon each other to facilitate the closing of the covers.

2. In a loose leaf binder of the character described, including a back, cover members and two series of impaling prongs carried by the back one of which is longitudinally shiftable to stagger its prongs with respect to those of the other series, followers engaged.

with the impaling prongs, and means connecting the follower which cooperates with the longitudinally shiftable impaling prongs with its respective cover member to accommodatelongitudinal shifting thereof with its impaling prongs.

3. In a loose leaf binder of the character described including a back, cover members and two series of impaling prongs carried by the back one of which is longitudinally shift able to stagger its prongs with respect to those of the other series, followers engaged with the impaling prongs, and means readily detachably connecting'the follower which staggered with respect to the impaling;

prongs of the other set, and covers, followers engaged with said impaling prongs, the follower for said shiftable prongs having longitudinal key-hole slots, and means for securing the followersto the respective covers, said fixed my, signature.

means for one cover consisting of members engageable in the key-hole slots to permit 1ongitudinal shifting of, the follower with its impaling prongs.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto af- ADOLPH G. LOTTER. 

